Chile: At least 112 people were killed while about 1,600 people were left without homes in massive forest fires that broke out in central Chile two days earlier.
The fires burned with the highest intensity around the city of Vina del Mar, where a famous botanical garden founded in 1931 was destroyed by the flames Sunday.
Several neighbourhoods on the eastern edge of Vina del Mar were devoured by flames and smoke, trapping some people in their homes.
Officials said 200 people were reported missing in Vina del Mar and the surrounding area. The city of 300,000 people is a popular beach resort and also hosts a well-known music festival during the southern hemisphere’s summer.
The fires broke out during a week of record-high temperatures in central Chile. The fires around Vina del Mar began in mountainous forested areas that are hard to reach. But they have moved into densely populated neighbourhoods on the city’s periphery despite efforts by Chilean authorities to slow down the flames.
